Mich. Residents Invited To President's State Of The Union Address
DETROIT/WASHINGTON, DC (WWJ) - President Barack Obama takes to the airwaves Tuesday night for his State of the Union Address.
CBS News Correspondent Peter Maer is reporting that advisors to the president say Mr. Obama will list five so-called pillars: innovation, education, infrastructure improvement, deficit reduction and government reforms.
Republicans are already warning the administration not to borrow to cover any of those ideas, which sets the stage for the second half of the Obama term and for Campaign 2012.
Meanwhile, there's a Michigan connection to the president's State of the Union Address. Two brothers who run a Detroit-area roofing business and a Grand Rapids native severely wounded in Afghanistan have been invited to view the State of the Union address Wednesday with First Lady Michelle Obama.
Gary and Robert Allen are among those invited to sit with Michelle Obama as her husband, President Barack Obama, delivers his annual address to Congress.
The Allens have been partners in the family business for 25 years. Allen Brothers Inc. is a roofing products manufacturing company in Rochester Hills.
Robert Allen tells WWJ Newsradio 950 his business' focus on innovation and small business may be the reason they'll be sitting in the audience.
"I think that's why we got picked ... We've come up with a extremely unique and innovative product. It was kind of born out of our core business which is roofing and sheet metal work for 60 years," Allen said.
Also invited to sit with the first lady is Staff Sgt. Brian Mast, who is a native of Grand Rapids. He was seriously injured by a roadside bomb in September, losing both legs just below the knee and an index finger.
You'll hear the speech live, right here on WWJ Newsradio 950, starting at 9 o'clock.
